For Blue Skies
by luvin-youx3
Summary: Set after How a Resurrection Really Feels. After deciding to date exclusively, Brooke and Lucas are faced with more challenges. Brucas, some bits of Brathan, Naley, Jeyton. Please rr!
1. Prologue: It Dawned On Me

_Brooke's Pov. _

I could faintly hear the wedding march beginning to play outside. This was it, I thought, but it was as if my mind refused to accept reality. I'm getting married. Today. I was only faintly aware of my mother taking my hands in hers, whispering into my ear, "I am so proud of you." My father kissed my cheek lightly, "My little daughter's all grown up."

Looking past my parents, I caught the gaze of my best friend. Peyton gave me a watery smile before joining hands with Jake, and walking out of the room. She was my maid of honor, and he was the best man. Nathan had jokingly said that if he had known I would be married at such an early age, he wouldn't have married Haley so soon just to be best man at my wedding. That remark, of course, had earned him a slap on the head from Haley. Their playful banter never ceased, and at times, I found myself envying them.

Haley came up, and engulfed me into her embrace. "Oh Brooke," she whispered. I knew Haley was crying; she was always sentimental in events like these. "Whatever you do, just be happy, okay Tigger?" She pulled away slightly, and I saw fear in her eyes. Was she scared for me?

Nathan wrapped his arms around her waist. "Hales, don't cry. This is a happy day." Holding his arm out to me, I gladly buried my head into his chest, and breathed in that familiar scent. Nathan and I, we went way back. Sure, things hadn't always been easy between us, but I didn't let that change who he was to me. I could never forget all the times I ran to his house when my parents were fighting, and we'd stay huddled in his room as he told me how hard Dan had pushed him that day in basketball. Nathan and I, we were so alike, too alike to be together, but perfect as friends.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I looked up. My father stood next to me, waiting. He slid my hand onto his arm, and slowly walked towards the door. My feet followed his, but all of a sudden, I was scared, so scared. I looked back at Haley and Nathan for reassurance, but they were too busy staring at me, not able to utter a single word. So many people surrounded me, but I was alone.

This is all a dream; it has to be. Even as I walked slowly down the aisle, I knew that in any minute, I would wake up and I'd be back in my bed, with the sun shining through the curtains. And then time stood still as my eyes locked with his. I held my breath; he hadn't changed at all, not in the three years that I had known him. The blond hair, those deep green eyes, it was as if I had memorized him, every part of him.

That was when the tears came.

I remembered the first time we met- when I had shamelessly undressed in his car after a basketball game. I remembered our first date, and our first kiss. I remembered all the times I spent reading the books he liked, listening to his favorite music because I wanted to feel closer to him. I remembered his sweet words, the way he caressed my face. I remembered him and Peyton, and how much it had hurt, but also how hard he tried to win back my trust afterwards. I remembered our talk at the beach after the formal, and the student president election. I remembered the moment when I realized I still loved him. I remembered living in his room for 3 months so I wouldn't have to move to California. I remembered the goodbye kiss we shared at the start of summer, and the nonexclusive dating we did at the start of our senior year. I remembered the beach party, where he announced to the world that he was the guy for me. I remembered the stark pain in his eyes when he saw me in bed with Chris Keller, and the way he ran after me and told me that he forgave me even though I didn't deserve to be forgiven.

I couldn't stop the tears. I loved him, Lucas Scott. We were the complete opposites, but through some miracle, we connected. I had never given my heart to a guy before, but he was able to sweep me off my feet. He opened up my heart even though I had taught myself to keep the world at arm's length ever since I was young. Lucas Scott. Broody. I loved him.

It was only then that I was aware of the silence which surrounded me. I was standing at the altar; they were all waiting for my answer- the words that would seal my fate. And suddenly, the fog lifted; my future became clear.

There was only one answer that I could give.


	2. To Me This Is Heaven

A/n: Thanks for reviewing my prologue. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

_Eight months ago…_

"Brooke, wake up. C'mon Brooke, we're late already!"

"What? Five more minutes, Haley" Brooke impatiently tried to wave away her roommate, her eyes still closed. "I was in the middle of this wonderful dream about Lucas."

"Ohh, and what could you possibly be dreaming about Lucas, hmm?" the voice asked her, amused.

"Mmm, I had a dream that I went to his house, and gave him all those letters, and he was so sweet to me. Now stop interrupting me from my awesome dream, and let me get back to sleep. Wake me up later, Haley."

"Okay, now that's twice that you've called me Haley. Last time I checked, I look absolutely nothing like her. And you're sleeping in my bed- I certainly hope you haven't slept in Haley's…"

"LUCAS!" Brooke bolted up from her, or rather his, bed.

"Wow, are you always this forgetful in the morning?" Lucas teased. "Good morning, girlfriend." Dropping his head, he brushed a light kiss on her lips.

The events from the previous night flooded back to her mind, and she smiled as she hooked her arms around his neck. "Good morning to you too, boyfriend."

"I like the sound of that," Lucas grinned.

Brooke peered into those green eyes that she had long ago fallen in love with. She never thought that he'd ever be able to look at her without any traces of hatred, disappointment, or sadness. And yet, last night, when she approached him, he had taken her back. Just like that. He was too good for her, she thought, and blurted out suddenly, "I'm sorry."

Lucas' gaze filled with concern as he saw the somber expression on her face. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry for everything that I did to you this year. I never meant to hurt you- I was just…scared, and I kept wanting you to prove yourself to me even though the things I made you do were unreasonable. I tried telling myself that I didn't care about you more than I cared about anyone else, but every time I wanted to have fun with other people, I couldn't. And that scared me so I pushed you away until when I finally lost you, I realized how much I wanted you." Brooke fiddled with her hands nervously.

Lucas smiled at her words. This was the second confession she had made to him within the past twelve hours about her feelings. He knew her- he knew how hard it was for her to admit her feelings; he knew that she always tried to laugh off everything, and then hide behind a cheery façade. "I know, Brooke, and I forgive you. I'm glad you told me how you feel, and I'm sorry I hurt you last year." Pausing slightly, he brushed a strand of hair from her face before continuing. "I know we've tried not to talk about what happened, but I just want you to know this- letting you go was the stupidest mistake I've ever made."

Smiling through tears, Brooke wrapped her arms around him, "I forgive you, and I love you, Broody."

"Oh, back to the nicknames now, aren't we?" Lucas grinned and breathed in the familiar scent of her hair. "I love you too, Cheery."

They held each other, and sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Brooke pulled away, giving him a cheeky smile. "So, now that we've gotten everything cleared up and we've forgiven each other, can I have my letters back?"

His eyes widened in surprise, "What, why?"

Brooke looked down, "Because…" she whined, "there are some embarrassing things in there. I mean, I never thought you'd actually read them, so I kind of thought of it as a diary, you know, except it was written to you, so I put all sorts of stories in there that I'd much rather you not read because they're stupid and pointless and…"

Lucas cut her off with a deep kiss. God, all that time away from her certainly did not do any good, he thought.

Once Brooke snapped out of her reverie, she kissed him back thoroughly, as she allowed his tongue to creep into her mouth and explore all the hidden crevices. When had her Broody turned so horny? She giggled silently at the thought. Before, it had always been her who made the first move, but she kind of liked it this way.

Lucas pulled away slightly, and gazed down at the girl wrapped in his arms. Her cheeks were tinted a soft bright red. "You know, you look really cute when you get embarrassed and ramble."

Brooke yawned, "Now that you've woken me up for my morning kiss, I think I'm going to go back to sleep."

"Whoa, no way!" Lucas jumped up. "We're already late for school. In any minute now, my mom's going to come in, and see me still in bed, with you might I add."

"But I don't want to go to school," Brooke pouted.

"Oh come on, this is our first school day as an exclusive couple. Don't you want to show off your new boyfriend?" Lucas coaxed.

"Hmm, good point. Okay well boyfriend, I'm going to run home, change, and get ready. Pick you up in an hour!" Brooke sat up, and started to get out of bed.

"Wait what, an hour! We'll miss both first and second period!"

Brooke gave him a light peck on the lips, and was already halfway out the door, "No arguing, Broody! Oh, and no leaving without me!"

Lucas fell back onto his bed, and lay there, staring at his ceiling. Well, if Brooke was going to take that long, he might as well go back to sleep. He hadn't gotten very much sleep yesterday anyway; he spent most of the night staring at and dreaming about his girlfriend. Brooke Davis, he thought as he slowly closed his eyes, was definitely one of a kind.

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Brooke stopped in front of the door to her apartment. Oh crap, she hadn't told Haley that she was going to stay at Lucas' for the night. It was like an unspoken rule- if one of them didn't plan on returning home for the night, they would call so that the other would know. Please don't let Haley be too mad, Brooke prayed silently, as she stuck her keys into the doorknob, only to have the door flung open, and 'lo and behold, there stood her roommate.

"Uhh…" Brooke stammered nervously, "Okay Haley, I'm sorry about not calling, but it just slipped my mind, and I'm really sorry if you were worried but…"

"Whoa Brooke, what are you talking about? And what are you doing here? When I came back, you weren't here so I thought you already went to school."

"No, I had to come back and get ready and, wait…" A realization suddenly dawned on Brooke. "What do you mean, when you got back?"

"I uhh," Haley looked down, and smiled sheepishly. "I stayed at Nathan's last night…"

"Oh my god!" Brooke squealed, and hugged her roommate, "That is so awesome! Details!"

Haley smiled shyly, "Well, you know Nathan called me, so I went, and we kind of talked. It was just really sweet, and I felt like we were back in the old days, you know? His mom left him again…"

"Ouch. That has to suck."

"Yeah, so I tried to comfort him as best as I could, and before I knew it, he was kissing me. I asked him if he kissed me at the masquerade ball, and he said he did…"

"See? I told you it was Nathan," Brooke interrupted.

"Haha not really. I knew it wasn't him once he actually kissed me; I mean, I know what his kisses feel like, and the guy who kissed me at the masquerade ball was definitely Chris, but it was really sweet how he lied to make me feel better. Anyway, I was going to leave because I didn't want to make him feel awkward, but he asked me to stay with him."

"Ahh, I am so happy for you!" Brooke gushed, "You and Nathan were like the perfect couple, and I always looked up to you guys…"

"Wait wait, so where were _you_?"

"I was at Lucas' house," Brooke grinned slyly. "We uhh patched things up…"

It was Haley's turn to squeal. "Wow Tigger, that's great! How did you do it?"

Brooke smiled, "I showed him the letters I wrote over the summer. I mean, I never thought he'd actually forgive me; I only went because I wanted him to know how I felt, but he chased after me, and said some really sweet things. I actually told him that I loved him…" Brooke blushed at the memory.

"Ohh, did Brooke Davis just blush!" Haley smirked. "Never thought I'd live to see this day."

"Shut up ," Brooke playfully pushed her, "I want to thank you though; if it weren't for you and Peyton, I wouldn't have had the courage to go and face him, and tell him my feelings."

"Aww, anytime roomie. I'm glad things worked out for you; I wasn't really used to coming home, and seeing you sulking on the couch instead of making out with Lucas on the couch, not that my eyes really appreciated the latter anyway…"

"Ha very funny, Haley. You're going to be seeing a lot of that from now on." Brooke gave her a sly smile. "You know, could you do me another favor?"

"What?"

"Well, now that Lucas has forgiven me, could you help me steal back those really embarrassing letters so that he can't read them, and I won't be embarrassed out of my mind?"

Haley laughed, and shook her head. Brooke would always be Brooke.

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"Oh, look who's back in school," Peyton grinned as she hooked her arm through Brooke's. "And wow, is that a smile I see on my best friend's face?"

"Hello to you too, Peyton," Brooke replied, as she opened her locker, and smiled at the decorations Lucas had put up for her at the beginning of the year.

Seeing Brooke's smile, Peyton smirked, "I bet that locker doesn't make you cry anymore, does it?"

Lucas closed his locker, and came up behind Brooke. "Who would dare make my Cheery cry?" he said as he wrapped his arms around her.

"A person named Lucas Scott, no doubt," Peyton said, as Brooke elbowed her in the stomach.

Lucas kissed her forehead softly, "I'm sorry for making you cry."

Brooke smiled as she nestled into Lucas' arms. "You're forgiven."

Peyton rolled her eyes good-naturedly, "All right, you two lovebirds. Care to explain why you guys and Haley decided to show up two periods late today?" Her eyes widened as she continued. "You didn't have a threesome, did you?"

"Peyton Sawyer! Eww, that's gross!" Brooke exclaimed as she whacked her best friend on the head. "Get that idea out of your mind right now! We were just tired so we slept in a little."

Peyton smiled knowingly. "And I wonder why you two were so tired…"

"Wow, I don't even want to know what you're insinuating about or why all of a sudden you've become very interested in my sex life!" Brooke said.

Peyton laughed, and slung her arm across Brooke's shoulder. "Aww best friend, you know I'm just happy for you and Lucas. I mean, now you can finally stop pigging out on cake all day and watching Spanish soap operas that no one even understands…"

"Alright, we get the point!" Brooke threw up her hands in mock defeat. "Geez, I never knew you and Haley loved to see me and Lucas make out so much…"

The three of them started walking to their next class, still bickering playfully. As they rounded the corner, Brooke bumped into someone. "Sorry, I wasn't looking…" she apologized quickly.

"Brooke?"

Brooke looked up, and standing in front of her, was the person she had never wanted to see again.

"Felix?"

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So sorry for not updating sooner, but this chapter took me a lot longer than expected because I kept going back to edit it and add more stuff. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Please review!


	3. Remember To Breathe

_A/n: Finally, chapter 3! This chapter took me SO much longer than I thought, and it turned out to be the longest chapter I've ever written. I actually knew what I was going to write before I started, but I had really high expectations so I was really critical about this one. That's mainly the reason why it took me more than two weeks to finish, plus tests, projects, and all that other stuff._

_Some parts of this chapter are disappointing, for me at least. I had a lot in mind, but it was hard writing it all down. My style of writing is also kind of changing at the moment, and because I wrote this over the period of two weeks, there are some slight changes in style, particularly dealing with dialogue and the thoughts of characters, which kind of altered depending on whatever mood I was in. Also, Brooke's character changed a bit in this chapter. I kind of like it better this way, and throughout the story, you'll see more of her new side. _

_Thank you to all my readers for the wonderful reviews that you've given me. I hope you enjoy this chapter :)_

Brooke gaped at Felix in shock. What was going on? Hadn't he been expelled last year? A million questions flashed through her mind, but she was unable to voice any of them, leaving her to stare blankly at him. She was vaguely aware of Lucas' arm wrapping around her waist as he pulled her closer to him.

Felix smirked, "What? No hello's for this old friend of yours?"

"What are you doing here!" Brooke finally found her voice. "I thought you were kicked out, and sent to some…military school."

"Oh well," Felix replied nonchalantly, dismissing her question with a casual wave, "you know how it is, with rich and influential parents, you can have anything your way." His eyes took in the girl in front of him, and he smiled knowingly. She hadn't changed one bit, still as attractive as before.

Lucas glared at Felix- he hated how the guy always looked at Brooke, as if he was imagining and picturing what was lying underneath her clothes. He could feel his girlfriend getting ready to throw an insult at Felix in reply to his remark about "rich parents"; this wasn't how he wanted to start out the day. Not wanting to give Felix a chance to provoke Brooke any further, he took her hand in his, and kissed her gently on the forehead, "Come on, pretty girl. Let's go to class- he's not worth it."

Felix smiled, with that confident air of his, "Oh c'mon Brooke, I just want to talk. Am I not even allowed to talk to you?"

Brooke rolled her eyes, "I'd rather not, but if you really have something to say, just say it now so I can get this over with."

"I want to talk to you. Alone."

Brooke glanced at Lucas hesitantly. She knew he despised Felix; the two of them never got along. Felix hated Lucas because he was dating his little sister, and Lucas hated Felix because well, who didn't hate Felix?

Lucas didn't want to leave Brooke alone; he didn't trust Felix. He never did, and he never will. There was something about Felix- the coldness of his eyes, the smirk that always occupied his face, but there was nothing he could do about it- Brooke was capable of making her own decision, and protecting herself. He shrugged, "Go ahead. I'll see you in English."

Brooke nodded, and gave him a light kiss. "Thanks, Broody. I'll see you later." Smiling at him reassuringly, she allowed Felix to lead her away.

Peyton caught Lucas' look of disgust. "Don't worry, Luke. Brooke knows what she's doing."

Lucas sighed, "I know, but I don't trust Felix. There has to be a reason why he's back. He doesn't do anything just on impulse."

"Well, I guess we'll know soon," Peyton replied. "Felix never keeps his motive hidden for long."

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Felix led Brooke to the other side of the hall. Brooke glared at him impatiently, "Why do we have to come all the way over here? And why couldn't you just say whatever you had to say in front of Lucas and Peyton?"

Felix smirked, "So, you're Lucas' girl again, aren't you?"

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Yes, and for your information, we're very happy so I'd appreciate it if you could leave us alone!"

"Seriously Brooke, I thought you were smarter than that. Once a cheater, always a cheater." Felix knew he had hit a sore spot as Brooke's eyes clouded with the memories of last year.

Brooke tried to shake off what she had just heard. "You're wrong about Lucas. He won't hurt me again."

Felix shrugged, "Suit yourself, but at least I never cheated on you with your best friend."

"Yeah, except you wrote 'dyke' on my best friend's locker!" Brooke retorted angrily.

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"C'mon Luke, let's get to class," Peyton urged him as his eyes were still fixed on Brooke and Felix at the end of the hallway, but before she could get him to move from his spot, a soft voice sounded behind them.

"Hey, Luke!"

Lucas turned around to find himself facing a familiar face. She had cut and layered her hair so now that it framed her slender face, but he could recognize her anywhere. "Anna!" He opened his arms, and hugged her, happy that his friend was back. "You're back too?"

Anna nodded, "Yeah. I went back to boarding school, but I kind of missed Tree Hill, believe it or not. When our parents reenrolled Felix here, I told them I wanted to return too."

Peyton stood on the side, unable to believe her eyes. She had missed Anna a lot; there had always been a connection between the two of them, and she had been disappointed that Anna had left without a goodbye. She understood and supported her decision, but she wished she had gotten to know the girl better.

Anna's eyes drifted to the blond girl standing next to Lucas. "Peyton!" She rushed up, and hugged her. Peyton had been one of the reasons she decided to return to Tree Hill. She felt guilty for all the drama that she had created for her the previous year, but was determined to be a better friend this time around.

There was another reason though, but she wasn't ready to share that one yet.

Peyton grabbed Anna's schedule, "Yes, you're in my class this period!"

Anna sighed in relief, "Thank god. I was already late to my first two periods because I couldn't find the rooms. I feel like this is my first time in this high school because of those stupid messed up room numbers that whoever built this school so kindly decided to have us stuck with."

Peyton grinned as she looped her arm through Anna's, and they started walking down the hall towards their class, "So, are you staying for good this time?"

"Yup, as long as you guys don't get sick of me," Anna smiled in return.

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"Anna's back too?" Brooke had never liked her, partly because she had dated Lucas before, but she just had never really connected with her. She only hung out with her because she knew that Peyton was friends with Anna. And besides, Anna was related to Felix, meaning she couldn't be as innocent as she tried making people believe.

Felix grimaced, "Yeah. I wish she had just stayed at boarding school; I've got enough to deal with without her around. Besides, her and the stupid rumors ruin my reputation."

Brooke shook her head in disgust, "That's all you care about, isn't it- your stupid reputation?"

Felix smiled cockily, "Of course. Reputation is everything; you should know that by now, my dear Brooke. Anyway, you better be careful about your reputation. I have a feeling history is about to repeat itself in front of your very eyes."

"What are you talking about?" Brooke asked.

"Look at them," Felix pointed at Anna, Peyton, and Lucas, who were just about to turn around the corner. Anna laughed, and slapped Lucas playfully. Felix continued, "Anna and Lucas make such a perfect pair, don't they?"

"Uhh, Lucas is going out with me. Besides, you didn't like Lucas dating Anna last year," Brooke retorted.

Felix shrugged, "Honestly, I don't really care. I'm sick and tired of watching out for Anna; she's not even grateful for it. From now on, she can make her own mistakes, and I won't be there to clean up everything for her."

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Why, you're a loving brother."

Felix smirked, "Oh well, I must go now, but just a piece of advice- better keep your eyes on your boyfriend. Remember, old habits don't die out easily. Lucas always had been attracted to my sister anyway." With that, he walked away, leaving Brooke deep in thought.

He wouldn't do that to her again, Brooke thought to herself. Not after everything they had gone through together, not after what happened last night when they had finally said those three precious words to each other. As Brooke finally snapped out of her reverie, she realized that she was late for third period. Very late.

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"Miss Davis," Mr. Smith, one of the most-hated teachers in the school, glared at Brooke after she had unsuccessfully tried to sneak into English without getting caught. "It's so nice of you to join us today. What's your excuse for being late this time?"

"Uhh…" Brooke racked her brain for a plausible excuse but couldn't find any, "I just look track of time….?"

Mr. Smith gave an exaggerated sigh, "Yet again. Take your seat, Miss Davis, and please _do_ try very hard not to disrupt the rest of the class again."

It took a lot of self control for Brooke to not throw an insult back at the teacher. No worth getting in trouble because of this that senile man anyway, she thought as she held her head high, and walked to her seat, only to find it…occupied.

And the occupant was no other than Anna.

She vaguely saw Lucas throw her an apologetic smile, but her eyes were fixed on Anna, who was sitting in the seat next to Lucas as if it were rightfully hers. In that second, her hatred for the girl sky rocketed. She opened her mouth to reclaim her seat only to hear Mr. Smith's cackling voice, "Sit down, Miss Davis. It will be detention if I have to ask you a second time.

Reddening from embarrassment after getting yelled at twice, not once, by the same teacher within a period of ten seconds, Brooke stormed to the back of the classroom where the only vacant seat was, and sat down fuming. She glared at Anna's back and Mr. Smith, while seething as she watched Anna and Lucas laugh and whisper to each other for the rest of the period. Lucas wanted to show_ me_ off, she thought indignantly, and instead, that…troll's flirting with him right in front of me!

"Miss Davis," Mr. Smith's voice rang across the classroom once again, snapping Brooke out of her thoughts about taking her copy of the Scarlet Letter and shoving it down Anna's throat, "Could you kindly tell the class what kind of flower is planted next to the prison door in chapter one?"

"Ah…" Brooke flipped through her book, panicking. She had forgotten to read Scarlet Letter over the weekend, due to her thoughts and preoccupations over Lucas. "…A daisy?"

Mr. Smith slammed his hand on the table, "Miss Davis, not only do you come in five minutes and disrupt the class, you cannot answer a simple question on the reading that was assigned last Thursday!" Reaching into his drawer, he took out a pink slip. "I have no other choice but to give you detention for tomorrow afternoon."

"But, Mr. Smith…!"

"Who can answer the question?" Mr. Smith ignored her protests. "Ah, yes Anna?"

"Next to the prison door is a rose bush," Anna replied. "It represents hope for the prisoners because everything else is covered with weeds, but the rose symbolizes that through everything, there is still that ray of light left."

"Very well said, Anna, especially for someone who has just joined our class," Mr. Smith said.

Lucas tapped her lightly, "Hey, that was a good response. How did you know the answer if you got the book today?"

Anna grinned, "Oh, the Scarlet Letter is one of my favorite books. I read it a lot, and I know it from back to front."

Lucas smiled, "Yeah, it's my favorite too."

Overhearing their conversation, Brooke could feel her doubts surfacing once more. "Lucas always had been attracted to my sister," Felix's words replayed over and over in her mind. There was no doubt why Lucas liked Anna- they were similar in many ways; they both liked to play basketball, and even read the same books, Brooke thought. And now she was back.

Calm yourself, Brooke Davis, she said to herself. You can't always be this insecure when it comes to Lucas. Trust him, and trust yourself. Anna's just a friend, that's all.

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"Brooke, wait up!" Peyton called as she watched her best friend shoot up from her seat and dash out of the classroom as soon as the bell rang. Catching up to her halfway down the hall, she said breathlessly, "Whoa, way to sprint out of there."

Brooke made a face, "I hate English."

Haley came up behind them. "Well, you could have just read the book…"

"Well, I didn't have time!" Brooke complained. "Between getting sent to jail, going to talk to Lucas, making my fashion line, going to talk to Lucas again, and then falling asleep in his bed, I didn't really have time for anything else."

Peyton swung her arm around Brooke's shoulder, and said sympathetically, "Too bad you have detention tomorrow after school. Haley, Anna, and I are going shopping."

At the mention of Anna's name, Brooke shook her head and thought bitterly, Great. Now she's taking my best friends too.

"Earth to Brooke!" Haley waved her hand across her friend's face. "What's wrong? You suddenly got really quiet…"

"Oh, it's nothing," Brooke replied quickly.

"Hey, girlfriend," Lucas came up from behind them, and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. "Way to not wait for me after class."

The first thing that came to Brooke's mind was, "Well, you looked quite busy with Anna, so I didn't want to disturb you guys," but she thought against it. She didn't want to be that jealous over-possessive girlfriend anymore. "Yeah well, here I am, aren't I?" Brooke placed a fake smile on her face.

"C'mon, I'll walk you to Latin," Lucas took her hand, and the two of them started to walk in the opposite direction.

Brooke looked at the messy-haired blond boy next to her, and smiled to herself. She loved him. That thought came so easily now when before, she always fought it or tried concealing it by making out with other guys.

Lucas caught her looking at him, and felt his breath catch. She was gorgeous. And she was his. He grinned at the thought as he wrapped his arm around her waist, and felt her settle comfortably against him. As they turned the corner, a disheveled figure ran up to them.

"Luke!" Anna called out, breathlessly. "I can't find my French classroom."

Lucas chuckled, "It's okay; I have French with you this period. Just follow me, and I'll take you there once I drop Brooke off at Latin."

"But Luke…" Anna whined, "I can't be late! This is my first day; what would the teacher think if I showed up to class late on the first day?"

"Umm…" Lucas looked uncertainly at Brooke. He had promised her that they would spend some time together during their first day of being "exclusive," but so far, they hadn't had any chance to talk. On the other hand, he should really take Anna to their French room; being late on the first day never did do any good to first impressions. "Is it okay if I show Anna to our next period class…?"

"It's fine," Brooke replied quickly, "I promise I won't get lost on my way to Latin." She smiled as she squeezed his hand gently. "You should go or else you'll be late."

Lucas reached over, and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I'll see you at lunch then."

Brooke's smile fell as she watched her boyfriend walk in the opposite direction with Anna. Sighing, she repositioned her shoulder bag, and continued walking slowly down the hall. He was gone…again.

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Fourth period rolled slowly by. Brooke used to love Latin; there were a couple of pretty hot guys in her class, and they always flirted with her all period, but today, she couldn't stand them. There was only one person she could think of: Lucas. She didn't want any other guy- she only wanted him.

When the bell rang finally, sounding the end to fourth period, Brooke grabbed her bag, and was the first one out of the classroom, ignoring the calls of one of the guys from her class (Jason or whatever his name was) that he was supposed to walk her to lunch. She pushed through the throngs of people in the hallway, and finally reached her locker. Throwing her Latin binder carelessly on top of all her books, she slammed her locker impatiently, and continued down towards the cafeteria, only to be stopped by someone calling out her name from behind, "Brooke!"

"Felix, what do you want now?" Brooke asked, frustrated.

"Nothing. I just want you to eat lunch with me," Felix replied.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "I'm eating lunch with my _boyfriend,_ Felix. Go have fun with your own friends, and stop bugging me!" Fortunately for the big crowds of people that were pouring their way, Brooke let herself be swept among the people, and lost Felix somehow. She walked quickly to the cafeteria, and scanned eagerly around for Lucas.

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Lucas sat alone, as he waited impatiently for Brooke to show up. It felt like ages since the last time he had held her in his arms, and kissed her soft rosy lips. He fiddled with his sandwich as he remembered what had happened earlier in the morning. Felix was back. Lucas had never liked the guy. He hated everything about him- from the usual smirk on his face to the way he looked at Brooke. His train of thought was interrupted by a wet object hitting the side of his face. He looked up, and saw Anna staring down at him, with a mischievous smile. "What was that?"

Anna laughed, "A grape. I had to wake you up from whatever you were thinking about."

"A grape!" Lucas stared incredulously at her. "You threw a grape at me?" Picking up a chip, he threw it at her in return.

Anna hardly dodged it. "Oh, it's so on!" she shouted, and proceeded to pelt all sorts of foods at Lucas.

Lucas got up, and tried to run as he saw more grapes being thrown his way, along with bits of the crust from _his_ sandwich! Ignoring the weird stares that they were getting from everyone, he ran to the other side of the table, and knocked over his bottle of Gatorade by mistake. Anna, who was running up to catch him, didn't see the red puddle that was on the floor until it was too late. "Ahh!" she flailed out her arms, desperately trying to regain balance.

As if on instinct, Lucas' arms shot out, and they encircled around Anna's waist, successfully maneuvering her away from the slippery spot on the floor. Still breathless from the food fight, Anna started laughing hysterically at the absurdity of their situation; Lucas soon joined in.

Anna grinned at him, all the while never looking away from his deep blue eyes. Those eyes, she missed them. A lot. When she first returned to Tree Hill, she wondered if Lucas had changed during the time that she was gone, but now, gazing into his eyes, she knew that he hadn't. And while they smiled silly childishly at each other, she was aware that his arms had never left her waist.

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"What did I tell you?" a deep smug voice whispered into her ear. "It was love at first sight for them at the beginning. Too bad you didn't bother to listen to me." Giving her his well-known smirk, he sauntered away with his friends.

She didn't need him telling her these things; she had seen it all for herself. The food fight, the laughter, the flirting, and now they were standing close to each other, his arms circled around her waist, with that gentle expression on his face.

Stop it, she told herself. They're just friends. _Friends._

But she knew that she couldn't face Lucas right now. It wasn't so much that she was jealous of her; seeing him with Anna reminded her of the moment when she had seen Peyton making out with _her_ boyfriend on the webcam. She couldn't deal with the memories, the weeks and weeks of loneliness and pain. She thought she was over it, _all_ of it; she had been able to forgive both of them, but would she ever forget? Would she ever be able to see him with another girl, and not think of the scars she still carried?

And with that, Brooke turned around, and walked out of the cafeteria.

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"Brooke's still not here…" Peyton said again, halfway through their lunch period. Where could she be? She knew that lunch was Brooke's favorite period- she never missed it for anything. Besides, didn't she want to show-off her new exclusive boyfriend? Her best friend instinct told her that something was wrong; Brooke had been acting strange ever since English.

"I'm going to go look for her," Lucas replied, and waved goodbye to his friends.

Haley smiled as she watched her best friend walk away, "They're so in love…" and stole a quick glance at the person sitting next to her.

Nathan shifted awkwardly under her gaze. He knew that she wanted to talk about what had happened last night, but he didn't know how to. He had needed her, and she had been there- he was grateful for her presence. But he wasn't ready to waltz through school while holding her hand, showing off her beautiful wife to the rest of the world, like Lucas and Brooke would do. Things were too complicated, even though he didn't know exactly how to simplify it. He _did_ know, however, that Haley was expecting some sort of reaction, some sort of answer. He just didn't know what the answer was supposed to be.

Lucas walked down the halls; everywhere he gazed were memories of Brooke. Smiling blissfully, he thanked the heavens that they had given him his true love so early in his life. He had to be grateful for that; at least him and Brooke weren't worlds apart like Peyton and Jake were. After circling the whole school more than once and still seeing no sign of Brooke, Lucas walked outside, puzzled. Where was she? Brooke had never been missing in action during lunch. Maybe she got held back by a teacher, Lucas thought to himself. Suddenly, he stopped in the middle of the school's parking lot, and looked incredulously at the sixth space in the second row.

It was empty. Brooke was gone.

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She sat on the swings, with her feet dangling in front of her as she swayed back and forth. The wind blew gently, and she shivered. In her hurry to get out of the school, she had forgotten her jacket in her locker. Damnit, why had she only worn a tangtop today? She didn't want to go back to school, not now, not like this. She just wanted to stay here forever. It was all so peaceful, and yet, she felt a slight pang of loneliness. She missed him, his touch, his kisses, his deep and soothing voice.

A gray sweatshirt was draped across her shoulder. She looked up, startled, and was greeted by a pair of deep blue eyes. "Hey," his voice was soft and quiet.

"Hi," she replied, averting her eyes away from his. "What are you doing here?"

"To find you," he answered, taking a seat on the swing next to her. "You weren't at lunch, and I noticed that your car was gone from the parking lot so I borrowed Peyton's car to look for you. I've gone to all the places that you usually go to, and then I saw you sitting here so..." Looking at her, concerned, he continued, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied, a little quicker than usual, so he knew she was anything but.

A silence descended on both of them. Lucas looked at the girl next to her, and saw that she was deep in thought. He wanted to know what was bothering her, but he also knew better than to push her.

Finally, she broke the silence. "I used to come here a lot," her voice was barely above a whisper, as if she were in a trance. "When I was small, this was almost like my...sanctuary. Whenever something went wrong, I'd come here to think." She stopped as if she were trying to find words to describe her childhood. "When my parents fought, I'd run out of the house, and sit on the swings here. Sometimes, I'd sit here for hours, until I felt calm enough to go back. Other times, I'd swing as high as I could, and feel the wind blowing against my face." She closed her eyes, smiling and reminiscing. "I'd feel like I was at the top of the world, and that nothing could ever hurt me."

Lucas didn't know what to say. This had been the second time that he had ever heard her mention her childhood. He knew that her parents were always away lot, and that she was often left with the nanny, but she had never really talked _about_ her parents or her relationship with them. He knew that it was a subject she didn't like to dwell on. Looking at Brooke, who was still swaying slightly beside him, he felt as if he was seeing Brooke as a child, innocent and vulnerable. He didn't know what to say to take away whatever she was feeling at the moment.

Taking her hand in his, Lucas pulled her from her swing, and into his lap. He felt her nestle against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist, enveloping both of her hands in his. "Whatever it is that's bothering you," he whispered softly into her ear, "you don't have to tell me right now. Just tell me when you're ready, but next time you want to skip school, take me with you."

Brooke looked up into his eyes, and smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Luke."

"For what?"

"For being here, and not giving up on me like everyone else."

Lucas gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you, Brooke."

"Why?"

"What, why?" Lucas was startled by her question.

"You could have anyone you want, why me?"

"Because you make me laugh when no one else can. You've showed me the true meaning of life and love," Lucas replied simply. "You make me feel complete."

Brooke was silent for a moment. "But we're so…different. We don't like to read the same books, or listen to the same music. We don't share any similar hobbies and…"

"But you make me feel _real._"

"Is that enough?" Brooke asked quietly.

"Of course. And you know why?" Dropping a light kiss on her lips, he continued. "Because you're the one."

A small smile appeared on Brooke's face. Burying her face into Lucas' shoulder, she breathed in the scent that she had always loved, the scent that lingered in her bedroom and on her clothes. She was tired of having doubts, of being insecure; she wanted him, all of him. "I love you too, Lucas," she whispered so softly that she wasn't sure if he had heard her, but a second later, she felt his arms tighten around her, and she knew that he had.

_A/n: I hope you liked it! And don't forget to review- reviews make me happy and give me lots if inspiration DD_


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